USA: a study on addiction in young people has just been revealed
In the USA, a study that involved 47,000 participants has recently been unveiled. The conclusion? Youger consumers are increasingly choosing to vape rather than smoke.
In 2024, the American National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) ran a study on addiction in both school and university student populations. Initial results are rather positive. Among the sampled population, tobacco products are losing ground to vaping. Furthermore, only 33% of vaping enthusiasts stated that they consumed e-juice varieties containing nicotine. A little over 4% of high-school students indicated that they smoked cigarettes daily. This represents a drop of 24% compared to 1997.
The results of the survey indicate that 3% of 6th form students consumed cannabis regularly, a stable figure since 2015. Consumption of opiates, however, decreased slightly. This drop in the consumption of pain-relief medication can be explained by renewed vigilance in the medical community. Prescriptions for this type of medication have been more tightly controlled than previously. Shockingly, 36% of secondary school students declared it was easy for them to obtain opiates in 2024, compared to 54% in 2010.
The FDA’s controversial decision
Given these results, Erika Sward, joint vice-president of the American Lung Association, was quick to condemn the Food and Drug Administration’s attitude in light of this situation. Last July, the FDA decided to delay their examination of vaping products for 5 a year period. For Sward, this reprieve gives e-liquid manufacturers a considerable amount of time to conquer the loyalty of younger customers.
Dr Wilson Compton, vice director of NIDA, is quick to remind us that vaping exposes people to a great deal less carcinogenic substances than cigarettes. Furthermore, electronic cigarettes are effective substitutes to help adults quit smoking tobacco. Check out our article on 5 reasons to switch to vaping.
